Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

Ina Garten is my favorite Food Network cook. In my perfect world, Ina and I would be best friends. We would cook and bake together and then we would talk and laugh about food. That would be my perfect world, but since we're not best friends, I'll just stalk her through her cookbooks. Ina just wrote another wonderful cookbook, this one is called Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes you can trust. That's just it! I always trust her recipes. It's like you got the recipe from your best friend...see!!

I chose to make this Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas first. A friend came over for dinner and I wanted to have an appetizer ready while I finished up cooking. This came together in no time and it was good. Don't think of it as a hummus because it's not. It's not as creamy and smooth. It's a hearty dip and I love the little bits of tomato. I also love that it was a warm dip. It tastes great with some pita chips! What more can you ask for...

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas
From Ina Garten

2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, preferably Goya
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 ripe medium-size tomatoes, seeded and small-diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grilled country bread or pita chips for serving

1. Pour the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain well. Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the chicken stock and pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely pureed.

2. In a medium (10-inch) saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the tomato is softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chickpeas, stirring to combine with the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and taste for seasonings. Pile in a serving bowl, drizzle with extra olive oil, and serve with shards of grilled country bread.